Feed-water heater



H. O. FRANCIS. FEED WATER HEATER. No. 339,635. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

(No Model.)

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HARRY C. FRANCIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

'IPECIFICATZON forming part Of Letters Patent No. 339.635, dated April 13, 1886.

Application filed February 6, 1886. Serial No. 190,983. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY C. FRANCIS, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-lVater Heaters for Steam-Boilers, of which improvements the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof.

My invention relates, generally, to that class of feed-water heaters in which the water is pumped through the heater into the boiler, so that the water in the heater will be under a pressure commensurate with that of the boiler;

g and it consists in providing a feed-water heater by the construction and arrangement of which, as will be hereinafter explained, the utmost amount of heat that exhaust-steam is capable of imparting to the water may be utilized, circulating within a shell or case around and among a series of vertical tubes, made of brass, copper, or other suitable metal, open at both ends, but rigidly secured at the bottom in a cast-iron standard, and supporting within the shell or case, at the upper ends thereof, a hollow chamber provided with a removable cover, having cast or otherwise secured to the under side of this cover and to the bottom of the chamber a series of projecting check or bafiling plates, which cause the steam to take a circuitous course therethrough, thus allowing the steam to remain a much longer time there n and affording it a better opportunity to impart its heat to the water. Through these vertical tubes and hollow chamber supported thereby the exhaust-steam thus circulates, heating the feed-water for its final delivery through a suitable tube at the top of the heat er to the boiler at or near the boiling-point, and the heater is of such capacity that it will contain water enough for the evaporation of the boiler for a period of twenty-five minutes, (more or less,) the water being admitted to the heater through a vertical pipe secured to the standard and extending upward into the shell about two-thirds of its entire height, and thus, instead of the water being delivered thereto cold, is, on the contrary, delivered in a more or less highly-heated state, preventing in a manner any violent agitation of the water therein, and from this more or less quiescent state and condition of the water is precipitated and deposited in a tapering chamber below the heating-surface, located, preferably, in the standard supporting the heater, such extraneous or mechanicallycontained impurities of the water, or such salts as are not chemically united, but held in solution, and thereby appreciably lessening incrustation within the boiler.

A further important feature of my invention is that the heater may be readily taken apart for examination in case of leakage or collapse of a tube, or for any other purpose, by an ordinary mechanic, obviating all necessity for calling upon skilled labor for such purposes or demands.

A further feature of my invention consists in the arrangement ofa scum-chamberin the top of the heater, with suitable means provided for blowing off such extraneous matter as constantly collects on the surface of the water in the upperpart ot' the heater.

A further feature of my invention consists in the arrangement of suitable apertures on the respective sides of the heater ordinarily closed by plugs, but which may be tapped for the diffusion of a jet of water or steam for the purpose of cleaning or washing out the interior of the heater around about the series of vertical tubes, or for the examination of the tubes in case of leakage, or otherwise; and a further feature of my invention consists in providing, in one or more of the legs of the stand ard su pporting the heater, tapering pockets for the reception of surplus condensed steam or water that may be separated and carried down through the series of vertical tubes by the action of the steam against the bathing-plates secured within the hollow chamber, and through suitable drip'pipes secured in these pockets this'condensed water is conducted underground.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure l is a vertical central section, on the line a a of Fig. 4, of a feedwater heater embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line a: a: of Fig. 1, showing the cover of the hollow chamber removed. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 1 3 of Fig. 1, showing the mud-chamber and plate with a series oi tubular openings for the loo reception of the heating-tubes; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of my improved heater, ready for use.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the cylindrical shell or heater, made of wroughtiron, steel, or other suitable material, provided with a covered head or cover, B, fitted to the shell by means of rivets or bolts 1). The bottom of the shell Ais provided with a stout flanged ring, 0, rigidly secured to a dished shaped casting, D, by means of bolts (1.

E is a standard, having legs 6, for supporting the heater A, the top surface of which standard forms a covering-plate for the bottom of the casting l), and firmly held thereto by means of bolts f, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Cast in the legs a of the standard are two tapering pockets, 6, for the reception of the condensed water from the series of vertical pipes, which is conducted underground by means of drip'pipes 8, extending therein.

F and F represent a series of straight heating-tubes, made of seamless brass, copper, or

other suitable metal, and open at their respective ends. These open straight tubes, as shown in Fig. 1, are divided into two sections, representing right and left hand sections, and are firmly secured at one end into the dishedshaped casting D by either rolling, expanding, screwing, brazing, or soldering them therein, and at the other end they are secured in a similar manner into a hollow chamber, G, which hollow chamber is supported thereby, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and unconnected with the shell. This hollow chamber G is provided with a detachable cover, 9, held firmly thereto by means of bolts 9, for enabling access to be had to the series of tubes for expanding them, for examination of the tubes therein in case of breakage or collapse of a tube, or for the examination of the interior for any purpose whatsoever.

To the under side of the removable cover 9 is attached,in any suitable manner, projecting downward into this hollow chamber and extending upward from the bottom of the chamber, a series of check or bafiiing plates, 9', which cause the steam to take a circuitous course through the chamber, thus allowing the steam to remain a much longer time therein. and affording it a better opportunity to impart its heat to the water surrounding this chamber G.

- The casting D is provided with two or more large pipes, H and H, com in unicating,respectively, with compartments I and I, and so arranged that the exhaust steam admitted through the pipe H is permitted to pass upward from the compartment I through to the tube F, into the hollow chamber G, firmly sup ported by the series of tubes, thence downward through the series of heatingtubes F to the compartment I,and escaping through the outlet H J is adeep narrow chamber, into which is deposited such foreign matters or mechanically-contained impurities that the wateron being heated may contain, or such salts as may not be chemically united, and by the location of this chamber below the heating-tubes the salts are thus permitted to precipitate, and, consequently, incrustation is very appreciably lessened, and thus as the water in this mud-chamber is in a more or less quiescent state it will be readily observed that the salts and other impurities will separate andusettle in the bottom of the chamber, and may be discharged through the blow-off pipe It by means of asuitable valve. This mud chamber J, the sides j and j of which form partitions between the compartments or tubular chambers I and I, is provided at both ends with inletpipes Z, through which the feed-water enters and isfed into the heater through an interior vertical pipe, M, extending upward, preferably,to about two-thirds of the entire length of the shell, so that the feed-water,instead of being delivered to the heater cold, is, on the contrary, delivered in a more or less highly heated state.

N is the discharge-pipe of the heated feedwater to the boiler, extending upward through a scum-chamber, O, fitted to the curved head B of the shell A in any suitable manner, and provided with ontlet-openingso 0, for blowing 0E the scum collecting in the upper part of the heater by means of one or more pipes and cocks, as will be readily understood.

On opposite sides of the heatershell A, near the bottom thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided openings for the insertion of ajet of water or steam,for cleaning or washing out the interior of the heater around the series of vertical tubes, or for their examination in case of breakage or otherwise. These openings are ordinarily closed by suitable plugs,p and p.

The pipe N, communicating with the boiler, being open, it will be readily understood that any water forced into the heater through the pipe M will be confined therein and discharged into the boiler with apressure commensurate with that of the boiler.

The operation of heating the water for the boiler by my improved apparatus, will be explained in the following manner: The exhauststeam enters at H and circulates, as

hereinbefore describedfrom the chamber I, in

an upward direction through the series of tubes F, thence through the hollow chamber G, taking a circuitous course over and between the check or baffling plates therein, and thence downward through the series of tubes F, and outward through the compartment I at H, giving off in its passage therethrough its heat to the feed-water surrounding the series of tubes F and F. This exhaust steam entering these pipes and passing through {them leaves at atmospheric pressure the steam only partially condensed in heating the feed-water, and the temperature of the inside heating surface is practically the same all over, and therefore the surrounding water will be heated tothe boiling-point for its delivery to the boiler. The hollow chamber G is carried and supported by the series of vertical tubes F and 1*", which, however, are not connected with the shell A in any way, and thus far permit of the free expansion and contraction of the pipes or tubes F and F without any injuriousstrain being brought to bear upon these tubes or their several joints.

I am aware that a series of vertical tubes open at both ends have been secured within a heater-shell to an inverted cone-shaped base, having steam inlet and outlet compartments therein, the said series of vertical tubes supporting ahollow tubeplate provided with a removable cover; and hence I do not claim, broadly, such a construction of feed-water heater; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a teed-water heater, of a cylindrical heater-shell provided with a series of vertical tubes open at both ends but firmly secured therein, and supporting a hollow chamber having a movable cover and a series of baliling-plates therein, and steam inlet and outlet compartments, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

.2. The combination, in a feed-water heater, of a cylindrical heater-shell provided with a series of vertical tubes open at both ends and supporting a hollow chamber having a removable cover and a series of baffling-plates therein, steam inlet and outletcompartments, a feed-water pipe secured in the standard and extending upward into said shell to a point at or above the center thereof, and tapering poele ets in the legs of said standard, provided with discharge-pipes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a feed-water heater,

of a cylindrical heatershell provided witha series of vertical tubes secured toastandard, a hollow chamber supported by said tubes within said shell and having a series of bafflingplates therein, steam inlet and outlet compartments, a feed-water pipe extending upward into said shell, a mudchamber in said standard, the sides of which chamber form partitions between the steam inlet and out-let compartments, and a blow-off pipe leading from said chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, in a feed-water heater, of a cylindrical water-chamber provided with a series of vertical heating-tubes open at both ends, and secured to a dish-shaped standard, a hollow chamber within said shell, provided with a removable cover and a series of baffling-plates therein,a feed-water pipe extending upward into said shell. a pipe leading to the boiler from the top of'said heater, and a scum-chamber provided with openings in the sides thereof in the upper part of said shell, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, in afeed-water heater, of a cylindrical heatenshell provided with a series of vertical tubes therein, a hollow chamber supported by said tubes, a scumehamber in the top of said heater, and annular openings opposite to one another in said shell, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness that I claim the foregoing as my invention lhave hereunto placed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY 0. FRANCIS.

\Vit-nesses:

XVALTER S. GIBSON, THOS. H. SMITH. 

